38% Of ICU Patients With Superbug Infections Die Within 14 Days, Doctors Warn
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
As patients battle life-threatening infections in hospital wards, healthcare experts in India are calling for better hygiene standards and specialised training for hospital cleaning staff to prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria..
“The press release, ahead of Clean Hospitals Day on 20 October cited a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, reports that 38 per cent of intensive care patients infected with drug-resistant pathogens died within 14 days, underscoring concerns about the threat of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings.”
Medical experts say improved hospital cleaning, hand hygiene and safe waste management are essential to protecting vulnerable patients from healthcare-associated infections.
The campaign, led by BRAINS Super Speciality Hospital in Bengaluru and Pragathi Rural Development Trust in Andhra Pradesh, seeks to make hospital environmental hygiene a core part of infection prevention and control.
Dr N.K. Venkataramana, Founder Chairman and Chief Neurosurgeon at BRAINS Hospital, said rigorous hygiene standards were particularly critical in neurological surgery, where drug-resistant infections could have fatal consequences.
The hospital’s Chief Consultant for Neuroanaesthesia and Neuro Critical Care, Dr Pavithra V., also stressed the importance of disinfecting surfaces, maintaining hand hygiene and controlling air quality in intensive care units to prevent cross-contamination.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Pragathi Rural Development Trust, Dr R. Nagaraja Naidu, called for improved hygiene training and biomedical waste management in rural healthcare facilities.
The campaign is advocating standardised technical training for environmental services staff, greater recognition of their role in patient safety and closer collaboration between cleaning personnel and clinical teams.
Under the theme, “Empowered Teams, Reduced Risk”, Clean Hospitals Day highlights the importance of equipping frontline hygiene workers with the skills and resources needed to prevent infections.
The organisers say patient safety depends not only on medicines and medical procedures but also on maintaining clean healthcare environments and empowering the workers responsible for them.
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